FARMINGTON — Masada House, a transitional residence program for homeless individuals recovering from substance abuse, will hold a Run for Recovery fundraiser on Saturday.

The event starts in the morning with a motorcycle run that begins in Farmington and will end with lunch at Rubio's restaurant in Aztec.

"This is our third annual bike run," said Masada House founder Su Hodgman. "We are doing the same route as last year, beginning at Motorcycle Performance Headquarters, which has been so supportive of Masada House. We will then go to Navajo Lake, through Turley and Bloomfield, and we'll end at Rubio's in Aztec for lunch."

At Rubio's, participants will have a choice of three lunch specials, and the band After Midnight will provide live music. A silent auction and raffle will offer the chance to win various prizes, including local art pieces. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward supporting Masada House's programs.

Hodgman said participants in the run will include riders from a clean and sober motorcycle club, as well as members of the Christian Motorcycle Association. Independent bikers and those in other types of vehicles, including cars, are also welcome to participate in the run.

"Masada residents will be working this run, as they understand the importance of being involved in the community," Hodgman said. "It's just a lot of fun, too."

Masada House can accept up to eight women at a time into its program, and it has stayed consistently full, said Hodgman. Some of the residents have stayed long enough to secure jobs and practice living a clean and sober life. Many have been able to save enough money to get their own homes and reunite with their children.

Masada House board president Jeff Boddy plays the lead guitar in the After Midnight band and is hoping this year's Run for Recovery will be a successful fundraiser for the organization.

"Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder each year to get funding," Boddy said. "There are a lot of rules and regulations you have to comply with for federal funding, and we haven't been open that long to have an established track record. But people have been pretty generous locally."

Boddy said transitional programs like Masada House are critical.

"Our area needs something 10 times the size of Masada House," he said. "We have a pretty good waiting list of people wanting to get into the program."

There is such a need, in fact, that there are plans to open a separate Masada House program for men who are recovering from substance abuse. The men's program will be run similarly to the women's program.

"I'm so grateful that Masada House is starting to be recognized in the community," Hodgman said. "Program Director Karen Chenault has been working diligently to give presentations to many agencies and organizations in the area that can either utilize Masada or can support our mission of helping recovering addicts rebuild their lives and be a positive part of the community again."

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